


Embers Catching

by EnidZsasz



Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey, heralds of valdemar
Genre: Assassins, Duke Tremane plays a part, F/M, Fantasy, Horses, Multi, Original Character(s), There will be others - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-10 17:02:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20531474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnidZsasz/pseuds/EnidZsasz
Summary: After the Storms of Magic which almost completely ripped apart the world several heralds and more have started to travel across the world in order to track down alterted beasts, but also help people who have been hurt by the change circles. One unlucky band of two healers, one Herald, and a Bard who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, gets picked up by a small band of Tredels, here they meet, a young woman who had taken up with them and helps them to escape.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place around one year after the Mage storms. Just around the start of Owl Sight. Most of the characters here will be my own, and other characters will appear. Keep on the look out for familiar companion names!

_:Things could be worse: _He told Pol, his companion. _:We could be dead: _He could feel his companion snort, his companion's generally good mood was soured by the fact that we was willingly trussed up in a stall. Tied at every leg, and neck at several points. These mercenaries, some small lingering band of Tredels from the war he was sure, were smart. They knew the Companion was smarter then a horse and half as lucky as a minor god. The only reason his companion allowed this was because of their predicament. He was hog tied at the wrists them bent behind him on a thick pole. His travel mates, and a very unlucky bard, all sat in similar positions. Only the bard was gagged, and he was sure it was a boon rather then a hindrance. 

_:They want our ransom. Along with the others:_ Pol replied. He laughed with the amusement from Pol, it would take weeks for anyone to get word to Valdemar even on companion back. Currently they had just passed through The utterly known map in his mind heading more towards the Black Kings, and out. They were making sure that the mage storms that kicked up circles had dissipated with distance, and they had, but then there was word of a small town that was dealing with a plague. The healers, and him couldn't just leave them to their own and heading for it. Whether it was a trap or not he wasn't sure. 

"I hope you have a plan to escape and that is why you are laughing." said one healer harshly. 

"Garret be nice," said his apprentice quickly. Garret snorted, and his apprentice a young man named Perinnet. The bards name he didn't know, apparently from what he could glean of the short words they had ridden in with the intent of trying to charm them all out and away. Like a young fool that she was. 

"No, Pol said something amusing, that they want us for ransom." he told them all. Garret looked to him and shook his head. There was a snort of surprise from Pol, and he quickly sent a wordless question to his companion. 

_:Someone is in here. They are extremely quiet:_ he replied. 

_:Let me see:_ he shut his eyes and was taken into his companions head further, seeing through the odd angles of his companions eyes, ears, and smell. Pol breathed in heavily catching the sent of a person as they slowly emerged from a small hole from under the barn door. The Tredels likely had taken out an entire town, and this was one of the barns there. He had heard them, the slow shuffling of feet, before he saw them. The place was dark, and he could only make out the slightest shape of a human as they walked closer, even with the very good eye sight of the horse they were nothing more then a human shaped blob of black. Wearing an entire suit of black, which was less tight, and more of a blob shape around them. 

Laughter next, and the figure dived, leaping quietly over the half door that contained the companion with speed that startled Pol. They pressed themselves against the door hiding out of sight as one voice opened the door, and then went in. He held a bucket and was talking about his share of the ransom they were getting. Bringing the bucket to the pump inside he filled it and left quickly with another laugh about how many women he could buy with that coin. The figure below was silent, breathing in time with Pol's heavy breaths. Once they were long gone they stood up and stared up to the companion who could only ogle down at them. The face fully covered by what looked like a thick mesh veil he could only get the hint of a face. 

"You speak to man in white?" they asked, either a woman, or a very young man. "Blink twice yes, once no, you are supposed to be human horse." they said. 

_:What should I do?:_ Pol asked him. 

_:Blink twice obviously: _

He felt Pol blink twice, and then send a curious thread of inquiry towards her mentally. She, and it was a she, was tense, but her thoughts weren't scrambled, highly in order, and all about getting Pol free, so she could go with the rest of the plan that Pol didn't dare to look for. 

"Good, tell man in white," she tapped her head. "To tell all there not to scream like children when I go to them. Follow plan of mine, and we all live." 

_:WHO are you?:_ Pol asked her. She flinched, but otherwise didn't make a noise. 

"Rescue, friends come for you in two days, to dangerous, to keep here. They don't plan on ransoms." she explained quickly. Pol snorted in surprise, there were no nearby Companions for him to piggy back off of to send a message out. "Do not hurt me when I set you free. You take all needed horses, go to the river, small path down, there cave, stay there. One person path, very defensible." she explained, and from the clothes she was wearing pulled out a small knife. Slowly she cut all the robes holding his companion down. 

_:Do we trust her?:_ Pol asked. 

_:Well she cut you free, I'd say sure. Maybe she wants the ransom herself?:_ Pol snorted, and let him away from his mind. He blinked his eyes open, and felt the headache of such a matter coming to lodge in his head. 

"Don't panic, but Pol made a friend." he said and the three went deathly still. "We may get out of this soon, just... don't make a noise?" they frowned at him. 

"A friend Humphry?" Garret asked in a whisper. "How do you even know we can trust them?" Humphry sighed. 

"Pol trusts them." That silenced them, and they waited in the ruined home. One tent canvas covered the roof to keep off the sun and rain, but otherwise the entire small building was less home worthy then a pile of rocks. The noise, and only because he was looking for it was the only tell that the girl had come there. The creak of old boards, in time with a few shouts of laughter, and then he could only sense that there was another in there. Humphry only had a small bit of foresight, and thought sensing, and even that he had to look for her to sense her. She wasn't exactly THINKING, but her focus was on a singular task mind quiet of all other things. Nothing leaked out, no desperation just the task ahead and her plan. He didn't scream, or make a noise when that girl was on his back, and thankfully all that happened was a sharp intake of breath of the others. 

"Cut free." she told him, and moved, the moment his hands were free. She placed a knife into his hands, and then went for the bard as he rolled his arms back, cutting his legs free. She cut the bard free as he lumbered up and got the healers freed. She was glaring to the bard, miming silence in an odd fashion. Hand going across her neck like she was strangling herself, then coming back the tap a finger to her lips, then to the bard. "Silence only. Follow." she spoke then motioned them to follow her. Out from one of the ruined doors to the back she stalled them just outside. 

Pulling off the veil she pointed down and moved towards the end of the building, eyes focusing on the fire most of the mercenaries were by. There was a pop, and he felt it, the build of a gift. Then she focused on one of the more intact buildings, the same pop, but nothing happened. She pulled back, and stayed still back to the building. The fire cracked, one of the logs popping, and with a short intake of air, the entire building went up in flames like it was the driest of kindling. For a single moment there was nothing, then screams and shouts. "Follow now." she told them, and moved, with all the distraction of the burning building no one noticed them leaving out from the small city. Heading out in a roundabout route towards the river, and then back towards the town. She shot off towards the river, and then down a small path that was only barely big enough for one horse. Heading down from it, it cured inwards just about head high into a small entrance cave. 

Soon enough the entire cave opened up, into a large cavern that reeked of old apples, and rotting barrels of alcohols. It was damp and cold here, and it smell of horses. He headed right for the white splotch that was Pol and hugged his companion. The horse whickering softly. There were only three more horses all milled around towards the back. 

"Who are you?" Garret demanded. 

"Blades to the back, there are some beds, we stay here till they leave or die. Then we go to your people." was all she said. 

_:She used the fire-starting gift:_ Pol told him. Garret went quiet, and the girl started to remove their blob of dark clothes. Wearing fairly well tailored clothes she looked like any minor noble. Tossing the shape down he noted it did have structure but it was also just a blob shape.

_:Its smart, no clean angles or lines, blends into shadow:_ He replied. 

Her clothes were not richly colored however, a tan shirt, and a leather jacket with tan breeches. She wasn't wearing hard shoes, but more of a suggestion of shoes, it looked like sacks on her feet as she bent down and removed them. They concealed her foot prints from the sandals she had been wearing he noted. They were all calm in the aftermath of the escape as she stayed near the mouth of the cave. 

"What... exactly is she?" Peri asked lowly. 

"An assassin." The bard said, and said 'assassin' turned to the group. She didn't smile, didn't nod, but looked back and away. "Right?" she demanded. 

"I have no mark on any of you." she said shortly. "You are safe, and will not die today." 

"WHO are you? What is your name, what are you doing here? Why did you-" the bard began quickly. Peri grabbed her, pulling her back towards the back of the cave. 

"I don't think interrogating an assassin would be smart." he told her. "What is your name? Do you need help?" he asked. 

"I'm Egelina, but what about the-" the bard said voice rising. 

"Call me Eua." she said shortly. "If you must have a name, keep quiet. They are above looking." she whispered next. They all silenced, and heard it, a few distant shouts that were nearly drowned out by the sound of the river. 

_:They think we all lept in:_ Pol told him. After what felt like hours Eua, slipped down folding her legs under her and staying quiet. The rest let out breaths and milled around. 

"I don't trust assassins." Egelina mumbled. 

"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice." Garret said. Eua snorted, Humphry noticed the briefest flash of a smile before she controlled herself. Peri however walked slowly to her. 

"Do you need anything? I'm a healer." he explained. She looked up to him blinking. 

"My wounds are not serious." she said, Peri sat down next to her holding out his hands. She eyed him warily, but didn't move as he put a hand on her shoulder. 

"You.... you have a cracked rib." he said, she didn't make a noise. "Okay, may I heal you?" he asked. 

"Heal me? You wish to help me?" she questioned. Peri grinned, nodding. 

"Of course I do! Come on, aren't we safe enough?" she looked upwards, but sighed, allowing him to pull her a little ways away from the entrance. 

_:What do you think?:_ He asked Pol. Pol whickered. 

:_She's being chosen:_ he said, Humphry controlled himself before he could reveal anything. 

_:WHAT?:_ he demanded. 

_:That's how they knew, her companion is with the other group, I just got into contact with them a moment ago: _

_:WHO?:_ he asked. Pol stayed a bit silent as he contacted the other companion. 

_:A mare called Fyllis:_ Pol explained. _:She was on her way, and contacted some allies as she passed through Hardon:_ He nodded, and looked to the two, Peri and Eua, she was still as she was healed. The soft light of the healing the only source of illumination other then his companion. 

"Do we have anything to have some light?" Egelina complained. 

"NO." Eua stated simply. Garret chuckled then he pulled out a sword and walked it over to Humphry handing the blade over. 

"This is yours, she got our weapons down here." Eua made a noise, and Peri sighed in a bit of frustration, but then the cave went dark again, as he finished up. 

"There, take a deep breath in." Peri commanded. Eua did as he bid and nodded, she stood up and went back to the mouth of the cave without a word. 

"Good." was all she said and then went silent settling back down. 

"Light would show bard, it would give away our position, they might not-" He began. 

"They don't. None but us know of this place." Eua said sharply. "Now quiet, sleep, or stay silent." they all looked to her but she was focused on the outside. 

"Could be nicer." Egelina complained shortly in a whisper, getting Garret to laugh again. 

"No she is right, try to sleep, Pol says that there are some people on the way, they have a companion with them." Humphry explained and that settled them down. Humphry ran his hand down the blade's scabbard, knowing it was his by the feel of it. It had been taken from him when they were captured and he wondered just when the girl Eua had gotten it. Last he had seen it was on the leaders belt, and that man wasn't too keen on letting it go. It was probably the nicest blade in the entire camp. 

_:Sleep, we are safe enough, I'll keep watch:_ Pol told him. He nodded and settled down in the chill. Thankfully the girl had the forethought to grab thick wool blankets covered with wax to be water proof. Peri passed them all out, wrapping out around Eua's shoulders. She turned to him, and he could sense her slight unease of the gesture. Like she was expecting him to do something wicked, but Peri settled down by Humphry and settled in for the wait. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group waits as the mercenaries fight or flee, Humphry questions Eua during so.

_:You really should sleep.:_ Pol told him, but he waited, all the while keeping an eye on the girl Eua. The 'beds' were thick bed rolls that had been put down there who knows how long ago. They were musty, damp and in parts falling apart, but otherwise it was that or bare rock and earth. He noted that Eua, had set herself up at the entrance either to block people from coming in, or to keep them from going out, it was one in the same. He sighed and looked to his companion. 

_:You said she was being choosen, if she is an assassin why?:_ Pol stared at him, and didn't answer. Humphry stood and slowly, so that she was all aware of his moves settled down by her. "Guarding? I can do that myself." he told her. Being this close to her, and finally this close to the thin light that could come through he finally could examine her in more detail. She had fine bones, almost like yes the royals he had seen. Delicate looking, but with a set to her face that was more of training then anything more natural. Black hair that was cropped close to her head, once it had been shaven, maybe even to the skin, but now it was nearly past her ear tips. She wasn't pale, but well tanned, like she spent her whole life outdoors. 

But her eyes were a uncanny blue, and he felt like she could see right through him. Her body was straight, not relaxed or slouched at all. Hands covering her folded legs like a prim princess forced to sit for hours until a bird ate out of their hand. "I can guard. You sleep." she said tightly. Then looked away from him staring out from the entrance waiting. He frowned, she had a strange and odd necklace that didn't dangle, or hide anything. In fact it was like a tight dog collar, setting nearly flush with her skin. It was gold, he could tell and it was of two snakes, one having eaten another. The tail curled around, and from the mouth of the snake being eaten dropped a human heart shaped jewel of red. The tail curled around that setting the stone in the hollow of her throat. 

"Why does Egelina think you are an assassin?" he asked and she frowned, barely looking to him and then back. 

"Ask a lot of questions, but not all answers you like. Her mind is her own, not mine." she stated and Humphry was surprised into a laugh. She glanced to him looking wary. 

"I'm a herald, questions is what I do. I'm just curious. How old are you?" she frowned glaring to him. 

"Twenty seasons of ice, that is my age." he nodded. So much older then most trainees. If he thought what she meant, twenty years old, was correct. He waited, and she sighed frustrated. "The necklace, I assume. It is a mark of all my people." he nodded. 

"That seems reasonable, but why admit it?" she shifted, the first time he had seen since Peri gave her the blanket. No matter how controlled she seemed to be cracks of what could be a real person were underneath. 

"I... say why not should I? I can teach to avoid others like me. To those who are your masters.... leaders... king queen?" she stated and then controlled herself. 

"IF I were to guess... you have a mark against these?" she flinched, but he just smiled kindly to her. "I don't take kindly to bringing an assassin to my queen." he told her.

"It is my duty to slay these leaders, once done I am leader of my people." she stated calmly. He settled a little more down and stared out into the faint light wondering how exactly to proceed with this. "Wish not to stain my hands I do." 

"To be honest, I have no idea what to do." he replied. She gave him an odd look. 

"Once it is known I failed... others will be sent till they are dead or we are.... it is our way. We have never failed twice." she closed her eyes and opened them back up. "But that will change, none have betrayed, so I shall do this. You're people are good, that is what all say, and those that seek the demise are fools." Humphry nodded along with her speech. 

"Do you know WHO hired you?" he questioned softly. 

"No. We only know of the mark... the leader is the one who knows of such matters. Not I." he grimaced. "Trust me you do not, I know this." Humphry shook his head. 

"No I believe I will be able to trust you, but the thing is Eua, if I do and get you to Haven, what will happen? What will you do?" she blinked and looked down to the ground. 

"Choices do not matter when not made." she replied and tilted her head back up. "I will train guards to fight, make sure my people can not have access, and when they are all gone, I will leave, and never come back." 

"Alright, so...." she frowned to him again. "These mercenaries, how did you come to be with them?" She sighed in relief. 

"Easy, I was sent out, found them, and they were busy planning raids. They took out this village, there was only a few left here, and from there they lived here. Planning on going out to another village, but you were there instead. I was not always with them, I traveled alone, foot, carriage, horse, whatever I required to get to your people. But now I have found you all, and now that is done." she nodded with a finality. "I will not speak more. It is tiring." 

"But you set a building on fire... I'd like to know how you did that." She actually threw her hands up and stood ducking her head as she did so and paced a little. The sudden outburst of frustration was a little shocking. 

"Ask questions NO MORE. I will not answer!" She sort of accused him. The others blinked to them, eyes going between them. 

"Its okay Eua, you don't have to answer them." he told her. She actually blanched, and grimaced. He noticed the slight movement, the necklace tightened around her neck and a part of him blanched in utter terror. 

"Taught, my father, his father, and his father. To our founding." she said, and then breathed out heavily. The coil relaxed and she touched her neck. The strange silence gesture made more sense to him then. 

"I'm sorry, are you forced to answer these?" she winced but nodded. 

"Yes. I am." he nodded to her. "Question no more. I have secrets to keep of my own and mind." Humphry nodded to her. 

"Of course! I was just being wary Eua, I didn't know this." she only gave him the lightest of nods and settled away from everyone else pulling the blanket closer around her shoulders. He listened a bit, and heard quiet a few things, either it was a battle or the tredels were fleeing. Either way he wasn't going to move, even from the glare Eua gave him. Despite the assurance that she was being chosen, she had admitted to being an assassin. One who was going to kill the Queen, King, and probably others, maybe even Solaris herself. The necklace was strange enough he was sure it had to be magical based, which meant it was a miracle it was still working after the storms. 

_:You could have been nicer.:_ Pol told him, and he shrugged. 

Eua briefly paced again, she looked to all the others, then controlled herself, settling back down. Humphry got some looks, and he made a bit vow to make it up to the girl. _:Can you tell one of the mages of that necklace?:_ he asked Pol. Pol went silent, and whickered. 

_:Pyhills says she'll handle it.:_ Humphry grimaced. 

_:If what she says is true, and I hope it is not, it promises that things are going to be very bad, would it be from the Empire?:_ Pol sighed. 

_:More then likely: _

_:That is wonderful, so do you know anything else?:_ Humphry grimaced as the headache made itself more well known. 

_:I can tell you that Pyhills is quite young.:_ he blinked towards his companion. _:She is barely old enough to be going out like this: _

_:Why would that be?:_ he questioned. Pol mentally frowned, he could feel it. It was a similar feeling Humphry had when he had mentored his trainee, sending them out finally on their own felt like sending out a child to war. Which didn't happen, but it felt like that, and he at least mostly agreed. 

_:I wouldn't know, but from what she told me she needed to be here for her chosen.:_ Pol replied._ :I don't hear anything, I think they left: _

Humphry nodded and gave another look around the cave. With the rising sun coming out finally, the cave was being more lit up. It was an old storage cave and it looked like long ago there had been a tunnel to the back, likely leading up to the surface, but now it was completely blocked. Ruined out with the dirt coming out of the once doorway. More half ruined barrels sat around rotting out their contents long since gone, rotting or burst out. He wondered if the villagers who used to be above knew about it before they were gone. 

* * *

She was called to stand before the leader as he sat behind his desk. Always her, always. Eua kept everything under a tight mask, making sure her mind was as blank as possible. Her father could read minds, could rip them apart and force people to kill themselves. It was why he was the leader, why he was the utter top of all of them. And that never accounted for his skill with blades. Eua would not kill for him, she would not ever kill for him. The man looked up from his desk and the paper on it then back to her. "You know why you are here." he stated flatly. His eyes cut into her, the kind of flat lifeless eyes of some of the men and women who had done all the horrible things had. 

"Yes father." she said and blanched a bit in terror. But he didn't respond to it, instead he smiled to her. 

"You are to receive your first marks. Once you have completed them, you will take my place." she didn't swallow, she didn't allow her mind to work or to think. His look was flat, without praise without anything behind it. "Now receive your binding." Eua only took a breath in and went to her knees. Her hair had grown long in her life, and two of his personal guards flanked her. He stood up from the desk but she did not dare to look up, keeping her mind blank of everything took all her effort. She didn't repressed a shudder as she heard a knife being sharpened. Within a few moments her hair was cut down to a mere stubble, and that would be then shaved down as her father took the hair and then drew it forth to a small basin near the desk. Drapping it into the basin he then opened a drawer, she kept her eyes fixed on him now, and flinched at what he pulled out. 

A small circlet of gold, a binding, well and true, most were not elaborate. Most were merely talismans around a chain, or bit of good string or rope. Her father had no such need of one, her mother had this one, for as long as Eua remembered her. He took the long hanks of her hair and wraped them around the serpents then put them both into the basin. He rung a bell and the sole magestier walked in. Wearing half and half clothing, almost like a jester he had black and golden clothes. A orante half and half vest, and then the opposite half and half breeches that flared out at his hips and down. To a braided caplet that went down to have his back of both colors. The cloth of gold and the black cloth, more gold adorned him, although Eua knew it was supposed to all be enchanted. She knew that the storms, which had wrecked havoc on all the magic as the man woefully put everything took the enchantments. 

However... with him he brought a small dove and she looked away. Hearing, or possibly feeling the small death she felt the slight change in the air that signified the magic spell. A duel metallic hiss, and she flinched keeping her head down completely. Her fathers steps approached her, and settled the circlet around her neck. With another hiss, the collar sealed around her, and then started to tighten down until it rested flush against her skin. "Now, you will do as bade, and take your marks to the forever sleep." he bade and held his hand out to her face. Eua did not touch him, instead she stood on her own, her father frowned at her, but motioned her to the desk. 

"Come now," was all he stated, and she settled by him staring down at the papers there. From sketches, well to do ones in fact, she saw more then just a few regal faces. He handed each one to her as she studied them, mind still silent though she wanted to scream and run. Wanted to flee to the hills and valleys through muck and mire until she was a feral thing only worth being killed for the shame it would bring if known of what she had become. Eua examined each one, memorizing the features without a word. There were three of them, two women and only one man. "As my daughter, you will be killing each one. Your skill is outmatched by none but me, and so you shall take over my place should you succeed." Eua nodded, she lit each sketch on fire from a small candle, tossing the burning pages to the stone ground. 

"So it shall be." she said simply. "They will die." she watched the smoke curl up. She knew who they were, they always were drilled on all rulers, from the moment of their inception to the moment of their deaths if they died. What they died of, what their rules were like, and more. Even to their favorite foods, spies were not needed when such things were as known as flies that buzzed around dead things. 

"That is not all." Eua did not flinch then, her mind tried to crawl out, but she battered it down from the surprise. "You will make it so that the deaths are there from their own." she repressed a shiver. 

"Is that all?" she questioned voice barely above a whisper. He turned to her, and she hoped that he would not break into her head, but he didn't. 

"Your gift shall suffice well on your journey, it is controlled. However... there is another thing I have made the magestier do." she nodded. "Do you hate me?" he asked and smiled a smile that had nothing in it. The coils of the collar tightened as she kept quiet. 

"Nno." she choked out, but they kept tightening. It was only until she couldn't breath, only had room for one sound that they lessened. "YES." she managed out and nearly stumbled to her knees. He kept the flat emotionless smile on her. She blanched in horror, but straightened herself taking control back. 

"Good, now you may leave to prepare for your journey. Take what you must, do what you must." he dismissed. Eua was near the door in a daze before he spoke up again. "OH, and daughter?" he asked, softly, like he really was once human. 

"Yes?" she turned back to him. 

"Will you betray me?" he asked. She felt the coils slip tighter onto her neck. 

"Yes. I will." she said... and they loosed. He laughed, laughed madly. The guards laughed as well, until he quieted quickly as if he never laughed before that. The silence hung in the air. 

"Honesty finally, I would not tear into you mind like your mothers dear one. I was young and malpracticed. Keep in mind, this will prevent you from telling lies to anyone, such is the way of magic now. Pity really." he kept his smile to her. "Now, you may leave, when you are either dead or succeed I will go for them personally." her heart thudded into fear. "You have four years, one year for each monarch and a year to find them all, then you will die. I will go for them, and they will all die." she nodded, then left, not running. Walking as calmly as she dared. Four years, she had four years. Eua let out a breath and looked up at the small groups of children being suffled off to their training. She was once one of them, and once thought only of gaining the thin praise of her father. 

He was a snake, not worthy of being called human. She had four years unlike the lifetime of these children to help and train these unknown people. Her father could have given her a worse fate, like the one her mother faced. He knew she was going to betray him, he was counting on her wanting nothing more then to save herself from the slow strangling death of the collar around her neck. She saddled up the single horse waiting for her, said horse would be abandoned, or given to a farmer or something for better travel. Gold coins were put into her bags as blank glassy eyed servants piled travel food into them. Nothing else but food, she did not need anything else, her clothes would be tailored for the places she would go and she would make them, if they could not be gained or bought. 

Eua swallowed thickly, gaining the saddle of the horse and trotting away from the world that she had grown up in. As the ground moved, as the world shifted from the place her people called home she felt freer. She felt more airy and light, she could do it. She was the best of them, and she could do as much as she would be able. The least of it would be the warnings, of telling the marks they were coming for them. Tell them everything she could until the collar strangled her to death. Her father was very wrong, everyone feared death yes, but she could not sully her hands as such. 

Coming into days of travel, and hearing of the people she was to kill her convictions stood all the more firm. "I will not kill for him." she told herself when she traveled alone. When there was just her, and solely her. The collar did not move, did not try to harm her just yet. Eua wondered if she even had that many years, more then likely not, but she could make it TO them. She could warn them, and that was what defined her travel, gaining ground with a small band of mercenaries, and traveling with them. Eua had been planning on leaving them soon, but that was when true utter fourtune struck. They captured a HERALD. One of the men in white, with a white horse and every single thing she had heard of them was that they were tired to one of the marks. That they were the royal hands of that place. 

The skills of an assassin, as she learned what they would call her, were not far from the skills of a true blooded thief. Unhurried as the mercenaries were not planning on killing any of them any time soon she found their objects and slowly took them to a small cavern she had found. It reeked of old things, likely forgotten long before the mercenaries drove out the last of the villagers, and her boon. This was where she was going to bring the man in white, and his horse if rumors held true. Her heart hoped so, if the horse was smart and could speak wordlessly like her father, then all the better. Her plans were set, and all it depended on was a bit of luck. Maybe the horse was lucky and this would work, all she had was hope. Hope that they would not kill her outright, and hope they would believe her at that. Eua held onto that most of all. That these people would believe her, and not think her a liar. 

She also hoped that she was the sole one sent to kill these people until failure, she didn't know if she would be. Eua had to get to them as soon as possible and that would be made do with the man in white. She used black fabric, of which was plenty to creature a sneaking suit, it took little time, it only needed to have a rough shape to it to fit it over herself. The hardest part was the head of it, but that too went quickly, in a matter of two days she was ready. That was when the bard nearly ruined everything, every plan putting everyone on high alert. But when it was known she was alone? They relaxed, and seemed more amused at the altercation. The building she planned on setting fire to as a distraction could have been used as a home for the leader. If the entire thing didn't have mold growing through it. Someone once had built the cistern for the thing into the roof, over time it had leaked, and then leaked into the entire home. Leaving the home molding from its plastered walls, and smelling of rot. 

Eua waited, and then began her movements to save the man in white, the others if possible. If not then the man and only the man, he was what she needed to ensure she could get to those that were marked and hope they knew she spoke truth. Her father... she frowned as she stayed still in the shadows. Her father likely planned on it too, always planning on everything that could go on. He wanted them to be afraid, when you are scared you make mistakes you would not to. Maybe he had spies waiting on getting in when they called for more guards to help them. One spy, to leave one door open and it would be done. She grimaced, and went to the barn where the horse was tied up. Finding a hole big enough wasn't difficult, termites had been eating away at it, but this one was more shored up then the others. She waited for two laughing to pass, looking for something, and then crawled in. 


End file.
